Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I guess I'm in the minority, but I really hated this book. The story was impossibly contrived, the dialog cliched and amateurish, the characters shallow and cartoonish. Even the animals were mired in hackneyed anthropomorphism, like something out of a bad Disney 70's era TV show: "Come on Bobo," says Pete, reaching for the chimp. The chimp's hairy arms and legs tighten around me. "Come on now," I say, trying to pluck his arms free. "I'll come back." Bobo moves not a muscle. "Come on now," I say. Nothing. "All right. One last hug and that's it," I say, pressing my face against his dark fur. The chimp flashes a toothy smile and kisses me on the cheek. Then he climbs down, slips his hand inside Pete's, and ambles off on bowed legs. Cute. Meanwhile, Jacob falls madly in love with the married Marlena, who fights off his advances with protestations like this: "I just can't. I'm married. I made my bed, and now I have to lie in it." She makes no mention of cookies being crumbled or the way in which a ball bounces. Marlena's husband, August, is a psychotic who is mean to animals (Booo!), violent, and equipped with a Snidely Whiplash mustache, so obviously he and Jacob are destined for a big showdown, which amazingly is pulled off by the author without having Marlena tied to a railroad track or menaced by an evil landlord who demands the rent. "Levity" comes from the bumbling Uncle Al, who explains that August's behavior is due to him being a "paragon schizophrenic," a joke so bad and unconvincing that even a hug from the monkey can't save it. The book meanders along towards its ridiculous conclusion, with little really happening or lessons learned. The final result is probably best described as the extremely fictitous and fabricated ramblings of an old geezer who misses the circus. Me, I would have preferred an ending that was more in line with the rest of the book. I picture Rosie, the smiling elephant, soaking everyone with a big blast of water, causing characters like Blackie, Diamond Jim, Peg-Legged Pete, Yosemite Sam, (etc.) to look down at their wet clothes and then break into sustained, hysterical laughter.